Bolivia's prosecutor's office has launched a new investigation into former President Evo Morales, focusing on alleged murder and torture charges stemming from a 2009 police operation that resulted in the deaths of three Europeans.
Seventeen years ago, a police operation at a hotel in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, resulted in the fatal shooting of Eduardo Rózsa Flores, a dual citizen of Bolivia and Croatia, as well as Michael Dwyer, an Irish national, and Arpad Magyarosi, a citizen of Hungary and Romania.
Two individuals, Mario Tadic, a Bolivian-Croatian national, and Elöd Tóásó, a Hungarian citizen, have survived their detention and publicly accused their captors of subjecting them to torture.
The Morales administration claimed that a faction led by Rózsa Flores aimed to foster a separatist movement, allegedly backed by the conservative economic elite in Santa Cruz.
Following his appointment by Congress, interim Attorney General José Armando Urioste initiated a new preliminary investigation targeting the former Indian governor, nearly a week after taking office. This move comes in the wake of the arrest of his predecessor, Roger Mariaca, who is accused of involvement in drug trafficking and asset laundering.
Prosecutor Urioste filed a notice with the Supreme Court of Justice, marking the beginning of a phase to gather evidence against former President Morales and his former Vice President Alvaro García Linera. They are accused of allegedly committing crimes including murder, concealment of crimes, and torture and unlawful detention.
A new measure has been introduced in response to a complaint lodged by right-wing congressmen Tomasa Yarhui and Rodrigo Antonio, specifically addressing the case known as "Hotel Las Américas".
In 2021, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) ruled that the Bolivian state had engaged in human rights abuses, prompting the commission to refer the case to the Inter-American Court for further review and consideration.
Antonio, a parliamentary member, stated that law enforcement forces did not engage in a confrontation with the individuals in question, yet they were still subjected to extrajudicial executions.
During an official visit to Venezuela, Morales informed the press that he had authorized the operation to apprehend the foreign nationals, whom he characterized as "mercenaries." This directive, according to Antonio, indicated that Morales had provided explicit instructions for the operation to be carried out.
Former Bolivian President Evo Morales and his former vice president have yet to make any public statements.
Evo Morales, a former president, is currently under investigation in connection with his alleged involvement in protests that brought the country to a standstill for 53 days this year. He also faces accusations of alleged human trafficking, specifically in relation to a minor with whom he is accused of fathering a child. Morales has denied these allegations.
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